TIHE MICHIGAN DAILY
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State Medical Soeiety Will
eet Today To Take Action
1 ReportOf Sp"iaI Body
Editor's Note: This is the co: cludinkg arf'cla of a series wiitten
by Pro°. Wesley H. Maurer of the departnie nC of j1urna lism eon-
cernirg the Michigair State dcdica S ie'ty sryvey. The study T
was directed by Dr. Nathan Sinai, profcssor ® 'izb ic raTilti at fie
Univtsity, andd Was in charge of a eohintee cominprised oa Dr.
. I. Marshall, Flint; Dr. L. G. Chrisiian, Lainiiiig; Bri. pert U.
Estabdoak, etrbit; Dr. C. S. Crsline, Bittle Creek Dr. F. A.
Baker, Pontiac, and Dr. F. C. Warnshiis, Grand R ap s.
By WESLEY H. lMAhlF
The faculty data of the survey of medical care and health agencies
of \v ichigan, which the Michigan State Medial Society will review in its
special meeting at Lansing today *ill bring into clear ou'tlfrie the major
problems and the direction of possible prograin for the medical profession
of the state.'
The major problems and programs as the comnnitte sees them are:
1. Continued study and preparation for meeting the iminediate needs
in the distribution of medical service;
2. The distribution of burden of costs to the end that adequate medi-
cal care may be provided for all the people.
3. A more equitable arrangement for the care of the indigent sick.
4. The need for better distribution of medical facilities in the sparsely
settled rural areas.
5. Wider distribution and a better co-ofdinatirg of public health
activities.
The Michigan State Medical Society and its survey comminrttee has the
distinction of being the first state society to preseit a profnam pOgressifve
in policy and mindful both of the public and of th-e tiedlieal plofessoin's
iitei'est. The survey committee could-
have merely gone into the economic fee of the private practicing physi-
pi'oblem of the physician. Instead, cian.
it surveyed the field of public con- The facts travel in a vicious cycle.
cern as well, reasoning that this Physicians, avoiding too low income
would have to be done to view the sections of the state and the spasely
problem as a whole. Had it not done settled parts of the state, move into
the latter, the committee might have the urban districts where they expect
niihd just another report with the to find more practice and where the
usual innocuos recommendations facilities of hospitals and clinics will
dai 'ied to fit into the traditional assist the physician in his practice.
patterns and calculated to keep the Thus, a maldistribution of physicians,
iiedical profession undisturbed. As hospitals, and clinics results. The
it is, it has compiled a report which, trend of the physician from the rural
even without its recomnendations, to the urban districts is in this sur-
ciiallenges the profession to seek an vey clearly seen. The lack of spe-
immediate way out of what one cialists in many counties is further
nimmber of the committee has called evidence of poor distribution. With-
a "medical catastrophe." in the boundaries of 40 counties in
Gap Between Needs and Care the state dwell people who live out-
As the medical profession views the , side the radius of 20 miles from a
public's interest through the report, hospital. The survey shows definitely
it will see first of all a wide gap be- how great is the need for more hos-
tween what medical care has been pitals for the tubercular and for
received and what the medical needs mental and nervous disorders.
actually are. Whether it be the num- And finally, public health pro-
ber of calls of physicians to their grams-programs devoted to preven-
patients or the number of days Pat- tive medicine-which would further
ients spend in a hospital, it is ob- ftend to decrease the cost of medical
vious that the care received, from diseases, by educating the public to
the standpoint of adequate stand- take care of cancer and tuberculosis
ards, could in inany ihstances be. in their early stages, by immunizing
actually doubled, in other intances school children, are disorganized, dis-
tripled, integrated, and, with few exceptions,
The profession will then view a without co-ordination.
second item concerning the public's Burdens Must be Evened
interest-the cost of medical care. All this leads to the compelling
The data shows conclusively that the conclusions that the burdens of the
burden of the cost of medical care cost of illness must be evened, that
is unevenly distributed. There is ex- whatever keeps people from getting
pended annually per family some- adequate medical attention must be
thing like $108 for medical care, an eradicated, that some plan whereby
amount which might easily be doub- people in sparsely settled areas might
led if all families received all the have physicians must be effected,
medical care they should have. Even that establishment of hospitals must
this cost would be low if it could be follow some regional plan, and that
predicted and budgeted, but the in- public health programs must be in-
cidence of illness is not predictable- tensified and co-ordinated.
a factor which contributes to the An'd the physician will see that
difficulty of the average family. An his own plight is hardly better. For
unequal burden is also borne by the upon him has visited a certain type
physician who must give his medical of technological unemployment. The
services free to the indigent sick who very good he has done has robbed
are unable to pay for the medical him of economic security. Tubersu-
care they need. losis cases decreased since 1900 from
The study of incomes reveals the 102.4 per 100,000 people to 45.9 in
narrow margins within which Michi- 1931. Where there were 34 cases of
gan families must buy the necessities typhoid fever in 1900 there are today
of life. When eight per cent of the only 1.5 cases. That which the phys-
people in the state command 35 per ician has done for man has, for the
cent of the income, or when 12.3 per time, given him less to do. Yet the
cent of the income of that county, survey shows that there is really
there is in evidence a resultant wide- more need for him today than ever
spread poverty which cannot be glos- before, for science has provided the
sed over with romantic economics. means for greater comfort, for longer
Number of Indiiiit Increasing life, for greater comfort, for longer
Moreover, it is seen that less than iety. It remains now merely to effect
10 per cent of the hospitalized tuber- some better system of distribution to
cular cases in Detroit pay even a part bring the benefits of science to the
of their maintenance cost; that 18 people.
per cent of the population of Detroit The figures on the incomes of phys-
visited the free and part-day clinics icians show strikingly how poorly
of that city; that one fariily in 10 tlie present system operates for the
received a medical bill of more than physician. Half of all types of physi-
$250; that the number of indigent cians in Wayne County receive less
cases is increasing and thXt this than $2,500 a year. About 43 per
number places a real burden upon cent of the 4;725 physicians engaged
the medical profession. These figures in private practice in the state earn
seem to indicate that a great many less thlan $2,500, and 30 per cent earn
people do not pay even the minimtum less than $2,000. The individual phys-
-Associated Press Photo
.in ck Crawford (aoe), Austraf
ian star,dfeated Ellsworth ines
t6 win thie singhes championship at
Wimbledon, England.
seems to be as mich injured by the
system as is the average sick person.
These avierages figures, moreover,
hide the tact that actuial eonomic
need, even destitution, exists among
physicians. Yet despite this low in-
come, the physician is further called
upon to assume the major share of
the burden in caring for the indigent.
Neither the public nor the profes-
sion is responsible for this medical
tragedy. The system, the committee
believes, is responsible. Adequate as
it was in periods when medical
knowledge was meager, that system
appears now to be outgrown.
In fact, it is this which the survey
perhaps emphasizes. to the exclusion
of all else. Of the many impressions
which the survey leaves upon the
reader, one seems to stand beyond
the rest: It is that a system of eco-
nomic accidents, which seem now to
determine where a physician shall
practice, where a hospital is to be
built, to whom should be given ade-
quate medical care, and to what
physician should go an income rep-
resentative of the full use of his skilfl
and knowledge, must, in some co-
operative manner, be displaced by a
system which is more orderly and
more thoughtful of human misety
and life.
This displacement will occur as
the traditibnalisi of the medical
profession, the ignorance of the pub-
lic, and the inertia of government is
transformed into more co-operative
and intelligent attitudes. This trans-
formation is much more likely now
that the problem can be faced with
facts-facts such as this survey com-
mittee has assembled. The service
which the committee has rendered
to the profession and to the popula-
tion is, therefore, inestimable, for it
lays a firm foundation for a new
medical era to which the. committee
refers in the foreword of its report:
"To prevent this work from be-
coming merely another historical ex-
cursion into futility, the profession
must realize that these labors fur-
nish merely a foundation for fur-
ther studies. The work must go on
until society is relieved from the
misery of preventable ill-health, and
until there arises an understanding
between the profession and the pub-
lic that will result' in a greater mu-
tual respect and security."
Money in Circulation
Decreases For Month
WASHINGTON, July 11.-(P)--
Money in circulation in the United
States decreased to $5,720,740,432 at
the 'ehd of June from $5,812,884,337
at the en'd of May.
The Treasury's monthly circulation
statement showed a per capita cir-
culation of $45.56 in June as corn-
pared with $46.31 in May.
Wimbledon Victr
Mixed Swim Is
Scheduled For
Intramura Pool
Recretoifal Swim Chlb
Formed To Gi Ve Liriled
Nimber Pool Facilities
Swiming for men and women
under a new plan will be held be-
tween 6 and 8 p. m. today at the
Intramural pool, spOnso'ed by the
Recreational Swimn Club. Miss Ethe
McCoimick, social director o womecn,
said yesterday.
The event is planned for every
Wednesday at the sam hour and
any students wihing to take part1
may dnrol in the club at Miss M=
Cormick's ofi ce in thi League. She
emphasized that, inasmuch as only
a limited number are being admitted
to the club, it is absolutely necessary
that all wishing to attend sign up
first at her office. No students will
be admitted to the pool unless they
have completed joining at the
League.
Plans for the evening, to be called
a n'ixed splash pafy, were foriu
lated at the request of a number of
studiYts wishing that sucli oppor-
tunities for mixed swims might be
had, she said.
In order to be eligible for mem-
beriship in the club students must
present heart and lung certificates
which may be obtained at the
Health Service if applicants do not
already possess them. Miss McCor-
mick said tha1t there will be a fee of
10 cents charged in order to cover
expenses incurred.
If tonight's party meets with gen-
eral success plans are being tenta-
tively formed to include supper at
the League and perhaps entertain-
ment after that for those taking part
in the swim, she added.
The swim was made possible
through the co-operation of the
Men's Physical Education depart-
ment in arranging dressing facili-
ties, 'she said.
Seven R.O.T.C s
Students In
W-te
PisolAwards
Cadets Of Four Colleges
In Camp At Lansing; To
Train Until July 17
Seven University students at the f
Michigan State College R. O. T. C.
camp at East Lansing have received i
honorable distinction as qualified
sharpshooters with the regular .45
calibre pistol, it was learned here
yesterday.
The students are J. D. Neal, BAd.
Grad., E. F. Jaros, '35E, A. B. Eb- t
hers, '34E, T. D. Lewis, '33E, E. J
Kelley, '34E, M. W. Dadd, '34E, and
B. H. Maddock, '33E.
LANSING, July 10. - (P) - Cadets
of the A. O. T. C. from four colleges
taking summer military training at
Michigan State College are due to
break camp July 17, closing a four-
week period. The cadet corps is
composed of junior military students
from Michigan State, University of
Michigan, Ohio State University, and
the University of Cincinnati. Lieut.
Col. Dorsey M. Rodney, commander
of the student regiment at Michigan
State College, is camp commandant.
Because barracks at Camp Custer I
and Fort Sheridan were occupied by
recruits for the Civilian Conservation
Corps, R. O. T. C. camps usually held
on those reservations are transferred
to college campuses.
Archery And Tenn is Instrtietion
zilBe Gi'ven Women Students
.
+i
"ilk I
Lydia MENDELSSOHN Theatre
.T
follow eader!
on yourway toldunch
the IiUt restaurant
fingerle operated
epL~ncle Tom's i"
Admission 75c, 50c, 35c
LI
fil
all week features
1-baked ham sandwich or roast loin of pork
sandwich, cut of our delicious homemade
pie, orangede-lemonade-coffee-ice tea
25c
2-chicken a ia king on home made biscuit,
chopped manhotan. sald, orangeade- 30
lemonade - coffee - ice tea
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